Pointing out that drought relief and development works are not being implemented at the expected level, Labour Minister and Dharwad district in-charge Santosh Lad has called upon the officials of various departments and gram panchayat members to work in coordination to ensure the effective implementation of relief measures.
Chairing a review meeting on the implementation of development works in the drought-hit areas of the district in Dharwad on Friday, Mr. Lad said that only with proper coordination that development and drought relief works can be implemented in a timely and effective manner.
He said that the gram panchayat members and panchayat development officials should be committed towards ensuring development of their respective villages and providing employment to job card holders. Blueprint for the overall development of the village should be chalked out by ensuring protection of natural resources, he said.
The Minister said that although there is no scarcity of basic amenities and infrastructure in the drought-hit areas of the district, precautionary measures have been taken for effective drought relief by ensuring adequate stock of fodder for livestock, supply of drinking water and jobs for workers.
Mr. Lad stressed the need for increasing persondays under the employment gurantee scheme and called upon the gram panchayat members to contribute towards reaching the target under MGNREGA.
He said that each job card holder should be provided work for 100 days, which will make the district eligible for a grant of ₹541 crore. Therefore, extensive awareness programmes should be taken up to educate registered workers, women and people, especially those residing on the outskirts of forest areas and in remote villages, he said.
Meeting
The Minister directed the zilla panchayat chief executive officer to hold meeting of officials every four months to further strengthen the gram panchayat system. He said that he will also hold a meeting of gram panchayat office-bearers and PDOs every four months.
Navalgund MLA N.H. Konaraddi said that because of poor monsoon, both kharif and rabi crop yield has been affected significantly causing a huge loss to farmers. Effective implementation of government-sponsored programmes is the only way to mitigate the sufferings of the people, he said.
Deputy Commissioner Gurudatta Hegde said that as the requisite measures have been taken for drought relief, there have been no reports of scarcity of water, fodder and other facilities. In some villages, there is shortage of drinking water because of groundwater depletion and in such villages, private borewells are being used to supply water, he said.
Chief Executive Officer of Dharwad Zilla Panchayat Swaroopa T.K. told the meeting about the drought situation, relief and development works and the steps taken for the implementation of various works.
Senior officials of various departments and others were present.
